Pressing machine control



Nov. 24, 1936. J. P. SINGISER PRESSING MACHINE CONTROL Filed Oct. 13, 1954 INVENTOR JOHN P. SINGISER 7 4% zm l'oRNEY- Patented Nov. 2%. 193% PRESSING MACHINE CONTROL John P. Singiser, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 13, 1934, Serial No. 748,174

2 Claims.

This invention relates to control mechanism for a power operated pressing machine of the type generally used in garment and laundry work. v

The invention relates more particularly-to a pressing machine having cooperating relatively movable pressing members which are biased towards open position and movable towardclosed v position by power means. The arrangement is such that if the application of power is interrupted before the press is safely closed under pressure, the press will open. The control means for. the power means must be actuated to its press closing position and held there until a maintaining means becomes effective to hold them in such position after the press is safely closed.

An object of the present invention is to provide power means for actuating the control means to press closing position and this power means is controlled by two-hand mechanism which operates to occupy both hands of the operator until the press is safely closed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved mechanism for carrying out the purposes of the control mechanism above outlined in which a fluid actuated motor is used for closing the press. The control means for said motor includes inlet and outlet valves operable in unison by a common actuator so that when one is closed the other is open, the outlet valve comprising a disk which is urged toward its cooperating seat by back pressure effective thereon when the press is safely closed. A biasing means normally holds these valves in press open position, and the parts are so arranged that the holding effect upon the outlet valve, disk as above described is suificient to maintain the valves in their actuated position when the press is closed against the effect of the biasing means.

Further objects and improved features ofmy pressing machine control include novel biasing means for the motor control valves and special arrangements of suitable motors for actuating the motor control valves to their on and ofi positions, all as disclosed in the accompanying g drawing and set forth in the specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pressing machine embodying my invention with certain of the parts broken away and with the control mechanism shown in diagrammatic form; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a'modification of the control mechanism; while Fig. 3 is a modification of one portion of the control mechanism.

For illustrative purposes only, I have shown a press of the scissors type comprising a fixed pressing bed Ill and a cooperating pressing head I l which is relatively movable with respect to the bed by means of a head lever l2 suitably mounted on a frame. The head is biased in its open position by means of a spring l3 and is moved toward closed position by the toggles l4 which are connected by rod I5 with the motor l6 which comprises a piston ll moving in a cylinder l8.

Control mechanism for the power supplied to motor l6 comprises a conduit l9 leading from the motor cylinder to a valve casing 20 which houses a normally closed inlet valve 2| and a normally open exhaust valve 22. It is desirable in carrying out certain of the features of my invention that these valves operate in unison so that when one is open the other is closed. Also, one of the features of my invention revolves about the fact that the valves are of the disk type which are urged toward cooperating valve seats by the pressure exerted upon the valves in their two positions. That is to say, when the inlet valve is closed the pressure fluid from the source of motive fluid supply urges the inlet valve toward its seat, and when the outlet valve is closed back pressure of fluid in the motor I6 is effective upon the outlet valve disk to urge it toward its cooperating seat. I have illustrated a valve of a well known type in which the inlet valve is in communication with'chamber 23 in the casing 20 and by way of conduit 24 with a source of motive fluid. The outlet valve 22 communicates with the atmosphere through conduit 25.

The outlet valve is housed in chamber 26 of the valve casing 20 which is in communication with cylinder l8 by conduit I9 so that pressure developed in motor I6 is effective upon the upper surface of valve disk 22 when closed to urge it toward its cooperating seat, indicated at 22'. Valves 2| and 22 are mounted by their respective stems upon a walking beam arrangement 21 which has an upwardly extending arm 28 by -which it may be actuated and a laterally extending arm 29 connected by means of rod 30 with a treadle 3l' for press release as will be later described.

The control valves 2| and 22 are biased in press closed position, which is the position shown in Fig. l, by biasing means 32 which may comprise spring means 33 as shown in Fig. 3 but which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as comprising a small fluid pressure actuated movable abutment 34 having a rod 35 which is maintained in contact with arm 28 by means of fluid pressure in chamber 36 which is connected by conduit 31 with a source of fluidpressure supply which bears a fixed relation to the fluid under pressure supplied to the motor IS. The simplest manner of arranging this is to place them in communication with a.common source of supply as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The advantage of this biasing arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 over that disclosed in Fig. 3 will be hereinafter more fully discussed.

With the press open, the parts occupy the position of Fig. 1 and inlet valve 2| is held down by considerable pressure inasmuch as the pressure in chamber 23 efiective upon the valve disk 2| is often in the nature of pounds per square inch. In addition to this, the biasing means 32 is also acting in the same direction to maintain valve 2| closed. For this reason ,it is desirable to provide power means for actuating the control valves 2| and 22 in press closing direction. The means shown comprises a small cylinder and piston motor 38 having a piston 39 whose stem 40 contacts arm 28, the piston operating in a small cylinder 4|. This piston is actuated by simultaneous-operation of manuals 42 and 43 which control a pair of combined inlet and exhaust valves in valve casings 44 and 45 respectively. Casing 44 houses a normally closed inlet valve 44a and -a normally open exhaust valve 44b, while casing 45 houses a normally closed inlet valve 45a and a normally open exhaust valve 45b. Conduit'46 connects casing 44 with the fluid supply 24. Conduit connects casings 44 and 45, and conduit'.48 connects casing 45 with motor 38. It is obvious that piston 39 must be of such an area that its efiective turning moment on the arm 28 and beam-21 is sufficient to overcome the effective pressure on valve disk 2| and on piston 34.

The control mechanism shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and like parts bear like numbers, the difference in this mechanism being that power means is provided for returning the control valves 2| and 22 to press,

open position at the close of a pressing operation. This device includ s a fluid actuated motor 49 having a piston 50 whose rod 5| is adapted to contact arm 28 when the arm is oscillated in a clockwise direction from the full line position shown in Fig. 2. In other words, the position shown in Fig. 2 is the position of the parts when the press is open and when the press is closed arm 28 lies against the piston rod 5|. The motor 49 is connected by conduit 52 with valve casing 53 in which is housed a normally closedinlet valve 53a and a normally open exhaust valve 53b which are actuated by a manual 54. The casing .53 communicates by conduit 55 with the fluid supply source 24 Here again it will be obvious that piston 50 must be of such an area that the efiective pressure thereon, taking into account the lever arm atwhich it is applied, will be suiflcient, taken with the action of biasing means 32 which acts in the same direction as motor 49, to overcome the holding efiect of the pressure exerted upon valve disk 22 when the press is closed.

The operation of the mechanism with the parts in the position of Fig. 1 is as follows: The operator completes the lay of the work on bed In and actuates manuals 42 and 43 to admit fluid pressure through conduit 46, casing 44, conduit 41,

"casing 45, conduit 48 to motor 38. This oscillates arms 28 and 21 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing so as to open valve 2| and close valve 22. While piston I! is moving substantially eely in its cylinder, that is to say, until head meets some obstruction such as the work lying upon bed '-|0, the pressure in cylinder l8, conduit l9 and chamber 25 will be insuflicient to hold valve 22 closed against the action of biasing means 32. Therefore the operator must maintain manuals 42 and 43 in their actuated position until the head is safely closed upon the bed and sum.- cient pressure has developed in cylinder I1 and the associated passageways just cataloged to build up pressure upon valve disk 22 to-hold it on its seat 22 against the action of biasing means 32. Thereafter the. operator canrelease manuals 42 and 43 and the press will remain closed. To

open the press the operator may depress treadle' 3| which will act mechanically through rod 32 to arm 29 to move valves 2| and 22 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereupon pressure from motor 5 will be exhausted through conduit 25 and spring |3 will open the press. In the form of device shown in Fig. 2, the press may be opened by actuating manual 54 which will admit fluid under pressure through conduit 55, casing 53 and conduit 52 to motor 49.

The advantage of the fluid actuated biasing means 32 of Figs. 1 and 2 over the spring actuated means shown in Fig. 3 is that the spring 33 must be designed with reference to an assumed pressure effective upon valve disk 22, so that it will be of less value than the holding effect upon valve 22 and the press will remain closed when full pressure has developed in chamber 25. However, the pressure of the fluid supply may vary considerably under operating conditions and itis possible that full pressure upon valve 22 might fixed relation to the holding effect upon valve 22 as they both receive their fluid supply from a common source.

The control mechanism shown in Fig. 2 lends itself readily to tandem control of two presses. In such an arrangement the valve casing 53 located at press A would be connected by a conduit with a release motor 49 at press B so that the operator standing at press A, by actuation of manual 54 could send pressure fluid to motor 49 at press B to cause opening of the latter.

What I claim is:

3,. In a pressing machine, a pair of cooperating relatively movable pressing members, a fluid actuated motor for closing the press, means tending to open the press, and'control means for said motor comprising an inlet valve and an outlet valve controlling the supply and exhaust respectively of pressure fluid to and from said motor, said outlet valve including a disk arranged to be urged toward a cooperating seat by the pressure efiective in' the motor, a common actuator for said valves arranged to open one as the other is closed, means biasing said actuator in fluid-exhaust direction, the parts being so arranged that the efiective pressure upon said outlet valve disk 2. In a pressing machine, a pair of cooperating 75 relatively movable pressing members, a fluid actuated motor for closing the press, means tending to open the press, and control means for said motor comprising an inlet valve and an outlet valve controlling the supply and exhaust respectively of pressure fluid to and from said motor,

said inlet valve including a disk arranged to be urged toward a cooperating seat by the pressure of said fluid supply, said outlet valve including a disk arranged to be urged toward a cooperating seat by pressure in the motor when fluid is supplied thereto, a common actuator for said valves when said press is closed is suflicient to preponderate over said biasing means, fluid power means adapted to overcome effective pressure on said inlet valve disk plus the effect of said biasing means for moving said actuator in fluid-supply direction, fluid supply means for said power means normally held in fluid-exhaust position, fluid power means acting in the same direction as said biasing means and combined therewith adapted to overcome efiective pressure on said outlet valve disk for moving said actuator in fluid-exhaust direction to open the press, and fluid supply means for said last named power means normally held in fluid-exhaust position JOHN P. SINGISER. 

